Brake-beam.



No. 850,335. WPATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

- J. H. BAKER.

BRAKE BEAM. APPLICATION FILED JULYIG, 1906. I

EEEE WITNESSES:

mvsurpn THE "cums Pnins cm, wasnmarom-a b UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented April 16, 1907.

Application filed July 16,1906. Serial No. 326,435

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES H. BAKER, residing at Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvev ments in Brake-Beams, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in brake-beams for railway-cars, and has for its object such a shows one end of the beam in side elevation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on a plane indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 8; and Fig. 5 is asectional view on a plane indicated by the line V V, Fig. 1.

In the practice of my invention the beam is made in the form of a truss, having its compression member 1 formed of a channel shape. The channel is preferably formed by longitudinally bending a plate or rolled bar. The anchors for the ends of the tension member 2 are formed by caps or end pieces 3,

preferably produced by drop-forging. The caps are formed on one side with projections or transverse enlargements 4, which fit within the channel and afford supports for the legs of the channel as against any collapsing when in use. It will be observed that the ends of the channel or compressing member are inclined, so as to be in planes at right angles to the tension member. It will be observed also that the compression member or channel is so arranged with reference to the other parts of the beam that the web thereof will be on the side of the beam toward the other parts. By thus arranging the compression member with reference to the other parts the web forms a seat for the strut and also forms stops or abutments adapted to prevent the transverse movements of the caps on the ends of the channel when the tension member is placed under tension. By

thus constructingg the ends of the compression member any hability of displacement of the caps either when segregating the parts of the beam or during the use of the latter is avoided. Any change of position of the cap is also prevented by the projection of a portion of the latter into the channel, as heretofore stated. it The shoe-head 5 is provided with ears or lugs 6, which pass on opposite sides of the channel and are secured thereto by bolts or rivets 7. It will be observed that the ends of the ears 6 and portions 8 of the legs of the channel or compression member are so bent outwardly that the rivets or bolts securing the heads to the compression member can be inserted and removed without disturbing any other parts of the beam.

The strut has its portion adjacent to the compression member box-shaped, the web or base 9 being connected by tapering side pieces or legs 10 to the head 11, so as to give the strut a broad bearing on the compression member, to which it is secured by bolts or rivets passing through the base on the box and the web'of the compression member.

It is characteristic of my improvement that the shoe-heads do not have to be made right and lefts, but can be secured to either end of the brake-beam. It is further characteristic of the invention that the shoeheads can be easily renewed without affecting the relations of the tension and compression members.

It will be observed that the compression member is of such a shape or contour as to permit of the making of the members differing considerably in thickness or gage and still preserving the external dimensions, so that the fittingsas shoe-heads, struts, and tension membersof the same or standard dimensions can be used with beams varying greatly in strength.

As the space allowed for inside-hung brakebeams is limited, the latter have to be made narrow. When made narrow, the position,

of the tension member will prevent the riveting or bolting of the shoe-heads to a channel compression member if the sides or legs of the latter are made parallel; but if said sides or legs or a portion thereof be bent outwardly, so that lines coinciding with the centers of the holes for the rivets or bolts for securing the heads in position will pass outside of the portions of the tension member inside of the channel, the rivets or bolts can be inserted without trouble, as shown in Fig. 2.-

I claim herein as my invention 1. A brake-beam having in combination a compression member having a channel'shape, portions of the legs of said shape being bent outwardly, a, tension member and a brake shoe head provided with ears or lugs having their end portions bent outwardly.

2. A brake-beam having incombination a compression member having a channel shape, a brake-shoe head arrangedonthe web side of the channel, the legs of the channel having portions in planes forming angles greater than right angles with the web, and the shoeheadv providedv With ears or lugs fitting the sides or legs of the channel.

my hand.

' JAMES H. BAKER. Witnesses:

OHARLEs BARNETT, J. HERBERT BRADLEY. 

